


Just Like Old Times

by Yunalystelle



Category: AI: The Somnium Files (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24981268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunalystelle/pseuds/Yunalystelle
Summary: It's time for the re-enactment of the Okonomiyaki War and Date's made sure to include a certain someone in the fun.
Relationships: Date Kaname & Okiura Mizuki, Date Kaname/Sagan Hitomi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	Just Like Old Times

Date idly clicked on the same several tabs he had already cycled through several times in the past twenty minutes. He had his chin resting on his hand, propped up by his elbow on the desk. Yet again, he let out a laboured sigh. "When will Mizuki get here?"

'Date, you know that Mizuki is busy with things at Lemniscate. Being in charge of a company is a big responsibility, especially when you're twelve years old. She said she would get here as soon as she could.' Aiba made an irritated noise. 'Honestly, just how many times are you going to refresh those webpages?'

Realising how pointless it was to continue the endless cycle he had found himself trapped in, Date leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "I just can't wait to get over there, you know? It's been so long and I'm looking forward to re-enacting the okonomiyaki food war."

'And I suppose you're also looking forward to seeing Hitomi, right?' Aiba inquired in a playful tone.

Date's eyes shifted. "I suppose so, but I can see her whenever I like. Okonomiyaki food wars don't happen every day though."

Aiba made a humming sound for a moment. 'Well, when are you going to take that next step? It's clear you two still care about each other, and I know you're still into her, Date. You dream about her plenty too. That dream you had about Boss and Hitomi was really something.'

"You know my dreams are beyond my control, right?" Date rubbed his forehead. "Anyway, there's a lot of baggage, you know. It's not like we can just jump in there and pretend the last six years never happened. I think it's best to take it one step at a time."

'Alright.' Aiba sighed in mild resignation. 'Just know that I'm rooting for you both, and so is Iris. I'm sure Mizuki is too even if she hasn't said anything. Speaking of Mizuki, I just checked the GPS on her phone and she's outside the apartment building right now.'

"Alright." Date returned his attention to his computer, deciding to take a quick look at his email. "Hm. Cute Russians in my area?"

'That's fake and you know it. Hurry up and delete it.'

"You never know, one of these days it could be totally legitimate," Date protested, though he deleted the email anyway.

'Listen to me, Date. Cute girls are not so desperate that they need to alert people to their presence through shady emails and they never will be. Also, nobody is selling you penis enlargement pills and they most certainly do not have videotapes of you doing weird sex things.'

"I know that! And it's not like I do weird sex things in the first place. I haven't even had sex in months!"

Just before Date finished speaking, the door opened. Date turned his head slightly, catching sight of Mizuki standing in the doorway with a strange look on her face.

"Oh! Mizuki! Er, hi." Date's face stretched in an awkward smile as he swiveled the chair around. He slapped his hands against his legs. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

Regarding him with narrowed eyes, Mizuki shook her head and folded her arms. "Sometimes you should consider not speaking out loud, you know?" Punctuating her reproach with a disgusted noise, she continued. "So, what is it?" 

"We're going out." Date rose from the chair and walked over, clapping a hand on Mizuki's shoulder. "Just one thing though, are you alright with those clothes getting dirty?"

Mizuki glanced down at herself then back up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Just what the hell are you planning?"

"A wholesome family activity, of course."

"Hmm. That doesn't really clear up my suspicion, you know. Actually, I think that just makes it sound even shadier."

"Oh well, no time to change, we're running late. You'll just have to go as you are." Date gently turned her around, pushing her out the door. "Come on, let's go. No time to waste!"

"Hey, hold on, tell me where we're going already!" Despite her protests, Mizuki still walked ahead of him out of the apartment building. Wherever Date wanted to take her, she was sure it would be somewhere good. 

In the car, Mizuki continued her questioning. "Is it paintball?"

Date just gave her a coy smile. "Hm. I wonder."

"Geez, you're really not going to tell me, huh?" Mizuki puffed her cheeks. She sat back, staring out the windscreen while she racked her brains, trying to think of more possibilities. "Wait a minute, isn't this the way to Teacher's house?"

"Correct. That's where we're going."

"Huh." Mizuki put a finger to her mouth, tilting her head. "So Miss Hitomi and Iris are coming with us too?"

'She still isn't getting it, huh?' Date thought.

'I suppose not,' responded Aiba. 'This will be a nice surprise for her.'

'She hasn't had the opportunity to do anything fun with family in such a long time.' Date threw a sympathetic glance at the young girl. Mizuki, with her attention fixed on the scenery, didn't notice. 'Her parents used to take her to Bloom Park but even those memories have now been tainted by blood.'

'It must have been a shock for her to learn what really happened with Shoko and Renju.'

'Huh? Oh, right, yeah.' Aiba hadn't been there for it after all. 'Yeah, she was pretty shaken by it all. Learning her mother had been dead a whole year, that it was her father in that body, and that Saito sent the text... she was gutted.' Date slowly shook his head. 'But we've all been there for her, helping her through her pain.'

'Mizuki does seem to be doing well. I'm glad. And now I can even talk to her.'

'You're getting along well, aren't you?'

'Of course we are. With my loveable personality, how could anyone not get along with me?'

Date just raised an eyebrow in response. "Oh, here we are." 

The car slowed down and pulled into the drive. Getting out of the car, Date walked up to the front door of Hitomi's house, with Mizuki trailing behind him.

Iris opened the door right after Date's knock, her face lighting up at the sight of him. "Uncle, there you are! We were afraid maybe you'd chickened out and decided not to come after all."

"Chicken out? Me? Of course not, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"And we wouldn't let you anyway. Hey, Mizuki, you're here too!" Iris's smile widened. "So you decided to join us for the okonomiyaki food fight?"

"The... okonomiyaki... wait, you mean...?" Mizuki shot a wide-eyed look at Date, then slowly turned her head to meet Iris's gaze with her mouth hanging open. 

"That's right!" Iris narrowed her gleaming eyes. "And now that you're here, there's no escape." Lunging forward, she grabbed hold of Mizuki's arms and hauled her into the house. 

"Wait, wait, wait a minute!"

Laughing, Date followed the girls inside. His gaze swept across the room over to Hitomi, who stood behind the kitchen counter, watching them with a gentle smile. All around her were bags of flour, cartons of eggs and various ingredients for okonomiyaki.

"Good evening." Date walked up to the counter. "Sorry I'm late. I had to wait for Mizuki."

"Oh, that's quite alright. Iris was pacing all over, wondering where you were. She's very excited for tonight, you know." Glancing over at the girls, Hitomi spoke further. "I'm glad you brought Mizuki along too."

"Well, you know, it didn't seem right to leave her out." Date smiled, shrugging. "I figured I should include her too. I haven't really been doing enough with Mizuki and I really should do something about that."

"Hm. Yes." Hitomi pulled her gaze back to meet his. "I know being a parent isn't the easiest thing but you need to be there for Mizuki, especially with her father gone. She might have us, but she still needs you, so don't forget that. Don't hesitate to ask me if you need something of course. I'm always willing to help."

"Yeah." Date looked over toward Iris and Mizuki.

Catching his gaze, Iris bounded over. "How are you this evening, Uncle?" She proceeded to bunch her fists in front of her chest. "In top form, I hope."

"I'm doing good, thanks, same as usual." Date smirked. "Don't worry, I'm absolutely prepared for this."

"Geez." Mizuki ambled up to them with her hands in her pockets. "Sure would have been nice if I was prepared. So, er, we're just going to put pancakes on our heads and throw food at each other?" Her gaze trailed over to the picture on the wall.

"Pretty much!" Iris clapped her hands together. "It's gonna be super fun, especially with one more of us."

"Hey, don't forget about me!" That protest came from Aiba, who rolled out of Date's eye socket and bounced to the floor. Mizuki reached out to pick up Aiba as she morphed into bear form and placed her on her shoulder. "I'll do my best!"

"Yeah!" Mizuki grinned. "Let's take down Date together, alright?"

"Hold on, Aiba, isn't this going to be a bit difficult for you?" Date protested. He looked around at everyone.

"I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Now then, I'm going to start frying." Hitomi went to heat up the hot plate.

"Yeah, Date, let Aiba join in!" Iris's expression turned stern. "She's part of our family too!"

"Fufufu." Mizuki put her hands on her hips, eyeing Date with a smirk. "You scared, Date?"

"Of, of course not!" 

"It is true that my size may put me at a disadvantage but I am quite strong and with the assistance of everyone here, I should have no problems launching projectiles from a decent height. I'm counting on you all."

"Don't worry, Aiba, we'll do our best to include you." Iris beamed at her.

"Yup. You can absolutely count on us." Mizuki thrust her fist into the air.

"This is ridiculous," Date muttered, putting a hand to his forehead. "Hitomi, do you mind if I get myself a drink?"

"Not at all. Help yourself. I've got your favourite beer in the fridge."

Date opened the fridge and removed a bottle, gazing at the label. "Huh. You really remembered something like that." Turning around, he saw Hitomi smiling at him.

"Of course. I remember all sorts of things about you." Hitomi held his gaze a little longer before returning her attention to the hot plate.

Date's throat bobbed. Watching Hitomi at the cooker, a powerful sense of nostalgia swept over him. Memories flowed through his mind one after another, so vividly detailed that it was almost as if he was experiencing them all over again. He rotated on the spot, looking around the room and recalling all the moments that he had shared in this house with the two people he loved. A quiet sigh slipped through his lips and he gave his head a brisk shake. He opened a drawer and took out the bottle opener.

As he raised the uncapped bottle to his lips, Date was struck by realisation. It was the same for him as well. Six years might have passed by, but he still remembered too. Getting the bottle opener from the drawer had been an automatic act. He hadn't even needed to think about it. Funny how one could just slip right back into old routines. Date made his way over to the sofa and sat, sipping his beer while listening to Iris, Mizuki and Aiba make conversation.

"The first pancake is ready!" Hitomi called out after a short while. "Who's up first?"

"Okay, Mizuki, why don't you go first?" Iris grabbed her shoulders from behind and propelled her toward Hitomi.

"Ah." A wide-eyed Mizuki watched Hitomi lever the okonomiyaki out of the hot plate. Hitomi deftly slapped it onto her head, causing her to flinch slightly. "Huh." Blinking, Mizuki raised her head slightly. "I... I have a pancake on my head." Her expression twisted in utter disbelief.

"Mizuki, you look so funny!" Iris backed away, laughing. "Alright, time to top it up!" Grabbing a handful of seaweed, she began sprinkling it on the pancake.

"Ahh!" Mizuki turned and ran.

"Hey, no running!" Iris gave chase.

Date chuckled as he watched the girls scamper around. It was so heartening to see Mizuki being included in the fun. She really was out of her depth here but despite her reservations he was sure she was actually happy to be joining in with them. How nice it would be to see more scenes like this, with all of them just having fun together. Looking down at the bottle in his hand, he contemplated the thought. Could they all be a family together, as easily as that?

"Next one's ready!"

"Alright, this one's mine!" Iris ran over to receive her pancake. Spreading her arms out, she did a twirl. "Woohoo!"

"Heh heh. It's payback time." Mizuki snatched up some seaweed and cabbage. Handing a couple pieces to Aiba, she then threw the rest at the pancake on Iris's head. Aiba threw her ammunition which struck Iris in the face. Most of it ended up dropping to the floor. "Ugh. Height difference is annoying."

Iris grinned, skipping around Mizuki and making her way to the bags of flour. Mizuki gasped as she saw Iris tear one open.

"Oh, no way. You've got to be kidding—" Mizuki threw her arms up as a cloud of flour rained down on her. Her jaw hung slack as she stared down at her dusty clothes. Looking back at Iris, she growled. "Why, you—!"

Iris snatched up a bag of flour and ran away, laughing. Mizuki tore open another bag and gave chase, hurling handful after handful after Iris, occasionally receiving another helping of flour in retaliation.

Date had a wry smile on his face as he watched the girls caper around, scattering flour over every inch of the room. That was seriously going to take a lot of cleaning. Hearing Hitomi call out his name, he set down the beer bottle and made his way over to the kitchen.

"I'm just about done with your pancake. You think you could do mine?"

"Of course." Date leaned against the counter, watching the pancake sizzle in the hot plate. His gaze shifted to Hitomi, mild concern showing in his eyes. "I hope this wasn't too much trouble for you, getting the ingredients and preparing everything."

"Not at all. I've got Iris to help me as well." Hitomi flashed him a smile of reassurance. "I've had six years to get used to life with one usable arm and I've had my daughter's support the whole time."

"Hmm." Lowering his head, Date quietly sighed, guilt shining in his single eye. How hard must it have been for Hitomi, having to adjust to life with the use of only a single arm available to her?

"It could have been a lot worse," Hitomi said lightly. "So don't beat yourself up, alright? Let's just enjoy this fun evening and not think about such things."

"Yeah. You're right." Date met her gaze, putting on a smile. "Sorry for getting serious."

"That's more like it. I like to see you smiling." Hitomi glanced at the pancake. "Okay, it's ready." She levered the pancake out of the hot plate and slapped it down on top of Date's head.

Date took over, pouring batter into the hot plate. He heard the light step of feet on tile approach. A piece of cabbage rolled from his head, bouncing off his shoulder on its way to the floor. Turning his head, he caught a flash of pink. "Iris, what are you doing?"

"I'm just decorating your pancake for you, Uncle." Iris clasped her hands behind her back, flashing him a bright smile.

"Uh, right. Well, just don't start throwing food at me while I'm cooking, alright?" Date swore he heard Mizuki make an annoyed sound in response. He heard Iris go back and forth. Bits of seaweed fell from his head. Date caught Hitomi's eye. She smiled at him, quietly giggling. His heart skipped a beat. Turning his attention back to the pancake, he flipped it. Finally, when it was done, he took it out of the hot plate.

"Here you go." With a swift flick of his arm, Date levered the pancake squarely onto Hitomi's head. 

"Alright, everyone's got a pancake!" Iris flung a handful of flour over Date and Hitomi. The tiny white grains showered down around them. 

"Ooh." Hitomi blinked, shaking her head. She made a beeline for the ingredients and snatched up a handful of seaweed, hurling it toward her daughter. Iris twisted away and stepped back, a giggle bursting from her throat.

"You're not getting away!" Date quickly scooped up some flour which he threw toward her. 

"Oh, Date," Mizuki called out in a sing-song voice. The first thing Date noticed was the devious grin on her face. Second was the large container of eggs in her hand.

"Wait, the whole container?" Date gulped. "You're not seriously going to—"

"Prepare yourself." Mizuki pulled out an egg and drew back her arm. Date stepped back, even though he knew there was no escape with the wall behind him. The egg whizzed through the air and burst upon impact with his shoulder, spraying him with its goopy contents.

"Argh! Come on, that's just cruel!" Date tried to reach for the flour, but Mizuki was quicker. His quick sidestep wasn't enough as the egg ended up striking his side and exploding.

"Take that!" Mizuki pulled out another egg, sending it to join its fallen brethren. "And that!"

"She's out of control, somebody do something!"

Mizuki was just preparing to launch further ammunition at the helpless Date when a glob of wet flour struck the side of her head with a sticky splat. Her mouth froze in a round circle and she turned her head. Iris was watching her with a haughty expression, holding up a hand. Tiny globs of wet flour clung to her fingers.

"You... you..." Mizuki's lips flapped.

"No bullying Uncle!" Iris put her hands on her hips. 

"Ugh, and I thought you were supposed to be my best friend. Iris, you traitor! Take this!" With a cry, Mizuki sent the projectile through the air. Iris bent and turned away, chuckling as the egg hit her back. 

"Mizuki, let me have an egg." 

Balancing the offered egg above her carefully, Aiba reared back slightly then pitched forward, sending the egg spinning toward the target. Iris had just straightened and faced them again when the egg struck her squarely in the chest. 

"Whoa! Oh my, not a bad throw, Aiba."

"Taking our heights and distance into consideration, I was able to calculate the force necessary to land a perfect shot on you and I also calculated that you would turn at that moment, allowing my projectile to strike you at precisely the point it did."

Iris blinked in bewilderment. "Wow. You're so smart."

Date had completely forgotten about participating in the food fight as he watched the girls. A cluster of bonito flakes hit the back of his head, tumbling over his shoulders. Jolting, he turned around to see Hitomi giggling with her fingers over her lips.

"Don't let your guard down, Date!"

"Heh, right. Sorry, I got distracted." Date scooped up some flour and seaweed, which he threw in Hitomi's direction. "Take that!"

Hitomi snatched up some cabbage leaves that had already been drizzled with mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce, flinging them toward him. The leaves hit Date's body and clung to his clothing.

"Argh! Now you're hitting me with the sticky stuff!" Date's face fell. "Come on, that's just cruel!" Hitomi responded to his protests with another giggle.

'Hitting with sticky stuff... hmm.'

'No innuendo was intended!'

'Really? Because I know how much you really want to hit Hitomi with the "sticky stuff".'

'I swear, sometimes I wish you had a mute function.' 

"Okay, you asked for it!" Date snatched up the okonomiyaki sauce bottle and aimed it, giving it a squeeze. Sauce squirted out, splattering Hitomi's sweater.

"Oh!" Hitomi gasped. Her stunned expression was swiftly replaced with a smirk as she grabbed the mayonnaise bottle. However, squeezing the bottle only resulted in a weak squirt. The white goo hit the floor, just inches from Date's feet. "Ugh." Hitomi gritted her teeth. "I can't do this with just one hand."

A white blur shot through the corner of Date's vision. Looking down, he saw Aiba run along the counter and launch herself at Hitomi. Grabbing hold, she clambered up to Hitomi's shoulder. "Just leave it to me!"

"Are you sure?" Hitomi gave her a doubtful look but handed her the bottle anyway.

"You are a cruel man, Date!" Aiba yelled, giving the mayonnaise bottle a fierce squeeze. The creamy white contents streamed out, splattering onto Date's face.

Date reared back with a cry. "Aiba, what the hell?"

"You should play fair! Hitomi can only use one arm but here you are attacking her with a two handed method! You absolute coward!"

"I didn't even think!"

Hitomi had a hand on her knee as she doubled over, quivering with laughter. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Pulling in breath, she managed to gasp a few words out. "It serves you right, Date."

"Bad Date!" A glob of wet flour splattered against Date's shoulder. Date turned his head, meeting Iris's reproachful gaze. 

"Now you're attacking me too?"

"Picking on my mom is not something I'll tolerate!" Iris declared, thrusting another handful of flour under running water. With a grin, she catapulted it in his direction.

"This is for Miss Hitomi!" Mizuki had broken some eggs over a pile of seaweed and cabbage. She picked up the food, piece by piece, which she propelled toward Date in a rapid succession of throws.

"Ugh, now you're all ganging up on me? Very well, no mercy!" With a yell, Date squeezed the bottle again, squirting the okonomiyaki sauce all over everyone while they continued to hurl ingredients. They all laughed, their bodies doubling over as they struggled valiantly to keep up the fight, but eventually the laughter was so great that they had all ended up on the floor with tears streaming down their faces. Lying there and staring up at the ceiling, they continued to quake with hysterical laughter for a long while. Eventually, they all sat up, struggling to suppress the giggles.

"That was so fun!" Iris howled, rubbing her eyes. "Just like last time!"

"I haven't laughed like that in ages," Date gasped out, rubbing his aching side.

"My goodness. Look at this mess," Hitomi choked out. "It's going to take forever to clean up."

Mizuki struggled to form words amid her continuous giggles. "Th-that was... that was so much fun... I haven't had fun like that in so long, not since..." Her voice hitched and trailed off. She bent over, letting out a gasping sob.

"Mizuki?" Iris looked at her concernedly. "Are you alright?"

"I just... I don't know..." Mizuki choked out between sobs. "I'm not even sure why I'm crying. I'm so happy. Having fun like this together, it felt like we really were a family, and... and..."

"Aw, Mizuki." Iris crawled over to wrap her arms around the young girl's body. Mizuki pressed her face into Iris's chest. Stroking her hair, Iris spoke to her in a soft, reassuring voice. "We are your family now. You, me, Mom, Uncle, we are going to keep on doing lots of fun things together from now on, alright?"

"We certainly will." Hitomi came and knelt next to them, joining Iris in stroking Mizuki's head. "I know that you haven't had it easy, Mizuki, but we're all here for you."

Date gazed at them, conscious of his throat rapidly clogging up.

'Well, what are you waiting for?'

'Huh?'

'Get in there! Don't just sit and watch!'

'Ah, right.' Date scooted over, embracing Iris and Mizuki. Hitomi leaned into him as she draped her left arm over Mizuki's shoulders. Aiba ran along the length of her arm and hopped off onto Mizuki, pressing her soft body against the crying girl's cheek. They remained in a cluster for a long while until Mizuki pulled away and wiped her moist eyes.

"I'm okay now." Mizuki looked up, a beaming smile displayed on her reddened face. "Sorry about that."

"Whatever are you apologising for?" Iris embraced her again. "It's okay. Just let it all out."

Mizuki took a deep breath. "I don't usually go crying like that. How embarrassing." She let out a shaky laugh.

"Well then." Hitomi stood, brushing off her clothes. "I'll make some dinner. While I do that, you can all start cleaning up."

While Hitomi stood over the cooker, Date, Iris and Mizuki got to work, wiping down surfaces and vacuuming up the scattered flour. Even Aiba pitched in, alerting them to missed spots. Before long, the house was looking considerably cleaner. Hitomi set out dinner on the table. Date gave Aiba a wipe down and replaced her in his eye socket before sitting. Aiba projected herself at the end of the table, looking as if she was sitting even with the lack of a chair, resting her chin on her hands with a happy expression while everyone else ate and talked. They all looked quite the sight, sitting at the table and casually eating dinner while still covered in flour and various other ingredients.

After dinner, it was time for Date and Mizuki to leave, desperate as they were to get home, take a shower and relieve themselves of their soiled clothing. Iris gave them both a hug.

"See you soon, yeah?" Iris stepped back with a smile, holding her hands behind her back.

"Sure." Mizuki's gaze shifted between Hitomi and Iris. "Thank you for this. I had a lot of fun tonight."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. We'll be sure to do all sorts of things together," said Hitomi. "You're always welcome here, you know."

"Yeah." Mizuki lowered her gaze, swallowing. She turned around with a wave and walked out of the house.

"Well then, later." Date raised a hand in farewell and made his way outside. Hearing Hitomi softly call his name, he stopped and turned around, seeing Hitomi step out of the house and close the door behind her.

Hitomi rubbed her arm, taking a moment to speak. "It was such a lovely evening."

"Yes, it really was," said Date, smiling. Just like last time, it had been so much fun. 

Hitomi tilted her head. "I hope it won't be too long before you come again."

Date studied her face with intense scrutiny, feeling as if he might be swallowed up by those warm brown eyes of hers. How much he wanted to just stand there for a long time, looking at her pretty face with that gentle smile. His heart gave a heavy thump.

"Don't worry," Date murmured, his voice thickening. "I definitely will. Goodnight, Hitomi."

"Wait." Hitomi stepped forward, putting a hand against his chest. "Sorry. This might be a bit selfish of me, but I just wanted you to know. I missed you, for all these six years." Lowering her head, she ran her fingers down his shirt. "Even when I thought you were in prison and was visiting you, I mean, that person, there was a big hole in our lives. Tonight, it felt just like old times. I was so happy. But it's your choice, Date. Don't let my feelings decide for you."

"Hitomi." Date rested his chin on her head, putting his hand against her back, feeling her warmth soak into his flesh. He lowered his hand after a moment, allowing her to step back. "I really do still care about you, you know, and we had such a wonderful time. It really was so fun. You and Iris are like my family. Mizuki's, too."

Hitomi slowly nodded. A look of uncertainty flickered in her face. "Are you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Date blinked. He stared down at his feet, his brow creasing. No, that didn't quite describe it. There was nothing to be afraid of. They were all safe, and yet, something was holding him back. His gaze flicked to her useless right arm. Yes, that was it. He still felt guilty.

'Date.'

'What is it?'

'I hope you don't mind me giving you some advice.'

'Do I have a choice? Seriously, go ahead.'

'Just let go of the guilt already and stop letting it hold you back. Think about it. Do you love Hitomi?'

Date gazed at Hitomi's face again, studying her features without saying anything for a while. 'Yes. I do.'

'Well then. I believe you know what to do, don't you?'

Aiba was right. He couldn't let the past hold him back anymore. Date forced back the lump in his throat, bringing his hands to either side of Hitomi's face. The steady thumps of his heart filled his ears. Her lips were soft to the touch. Her arm slipped around his back as she pressed back.

After several seconds, they broke apart. Hitomi's cheeks glowed pink. She touched her lips, gazing up at him with shining eyes. A radiant smile lit up her face.

"Well then." Date exhaled, smiling. "I'll see you again very soon."

"Yes. I'll look forward to it." Hitomi nodded, taking a step back toward the door. "Goodnight, Date."

Date felt as if he was walking on air as he made his way back to the car. He slipped into his seat and did his belt, humming. 

"You sure took your time talking to Miss Hitomi." Mizuki glanced up from her cellphone. "Why do you look so happy?"

"Well, because we had such a fun time tonight, of course."

"Hm." Mizuki narrowed her eyes. "Something good happened, didn't it?"

Date started the car up and it rolled out of the driveway. 

Mizuki put away the cellphone. "Come on, spill it. Did you kiss or something?"

"Would it be a problem if we did?"

"Hmm. I feel like Miss Hitomi could do better, but then again, you're the man she's in love with. I'm not really sure why, to be honest."

Date raised an eyebrow. Mizuki really didn't hold her punches when it came to him. 

"It's obvious you still love her." Mizuki rested her head back on the seat, sighing. "We all had so much fun tonight, like a family. I haven't had that much fun in forever. I don't know why you have to drag your feet with her."

"Well, it's complicated, you know? A lot of things happened in the past."

"Hmm. Yeah. You did shoot her by accident. But she's obviously forgiven you. Anyway, I don't think it would be so bad if you got together again. I know Iris wants it so much. And I wouldn't mind if Miss Hitomi..." Trailing off, Mizuki shook her head. "Never mind."

'Hmm? I wonder what she was about to say just now.'

'I think I have an idea,' Aiba replied. 'Most likely Mizuki already sees Hitomi as a mother figure. They are very close after all. She may have been about to say something along those lines, but stopped herself.'

"Huh. Well, it's a bit early to be thinking about marriage, isn't it? I mean, we've only just got back together.'

'Understandable. When you are ready, you can just let me know and I'll search for wedding venues. It's best to book early, by the way.'

'Uh, thanks, but I think we're just going to take it slow for now. Anyway, getting Mizuki's approval is quite something.'

'Indeed. It might be that Mizuki is warming up to you. See what happens when you actually include her in the things you do?'

'Yes, alright, I know I've messed up in the past. But I'm trying.'

Mizuki was gazing out of the side window now. "Iris used to tell me all about her uncle."

"Did she?" Date glanced at her. "Only good things, I hope."

Mizuki snorted, her lips twitching in a smile. "Well, I heard you were a bit of a dork even back then. Iris would tell me about all the fun things you did together, going out to all sorts of places and even having a food fight. You always had so much fun together, like a family. Iris really loved you, you know. She even thought of you like a father."

It was a while before Date spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Yeah."

"She even became an idol in the hopes of finding you again. I really hoped she would succeed." Mizuki smiled wryly in Date's direction. "Of course, I had no idea that she was talking about you. Now that was a surprise."

"Yeah, it was a surprise to me too."

Mizuki fidgeted in the seat, her gaze passing over the car in front of them. "Actually, I'm glad."

"You are, huh?"

"Yeah." Mizuki lowered her head. "I'm so happy for Iris. She was finally able to find you again. You are glad too, aren't you, that you got your memories back?"

Date tapped his fingers against the wheel, staring intently at the road. With Aiba driving, he was free to lapse into his thoughts. He had thrown his body away for Iris and Hitomi's sakes, and ended up losing his memory in an unfortunate incident. While it had been a blessing to forget about his childhood abuse and the years spent committing vigilante justice or being a hitman for the yakuza, it had come at a price. 

Hitomi and Iris had ended up becoming his world and Date had so many precious, irreplaceable memories of them. With everything behind him, he knew one thing for sure. He didn't want to forget them ever again. The unpleasant memories might have returned to him too but he was just going to have to take the bad with the good.

Meeting Mizuki's gaze with a smile, he answered, "Yes. I really am." 

"Miss Hitomi must have been really happy when you kissed her."

"Yeah, she did look pretty ha- hey, hold on!"

"See, I knew it!" Mizuki smirked. "You had the dumbest smile on your face when you got into the car and you were humming. Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

Date let out a long breath, smiling. "Yeah, alright. You got me."

"Heh." Mizuki threw herself back against the seat. "Well. Good for you." She clasped her hands in her lap, rocking from side to side. Date cast a sideways glance, catching sight of the upturned curve of her lips. She might be acting calm about the news but he suspected that she was much happier than she was letting on.

'Alright, Date, let's discuss the next step.'

Date's brow furrowed. 'The next step?'

'Yes, Date, the next step. You know. Going on a date. I am looking on JourneyAide right now, checking some good restaurants in the area that are within budget. Is there a particular type of cuisine you two would prefer?'

Wow, Aiba really wasn't wasting any time here. Date massaged his forehead, thinking about it for a moment. 'Hmm, how about teppanyaki? I think she might like that.'

'Teppanyaki. Got it. I've found a place that should be to your liking. Would you like me to call Hitomi so that you can corroborate your schedules?"

"Go ahead." A moment later, Date was staring at Hitomi's face on a video feed. 

"Oh, Date, you're calling back so soon? What's wrong?"

"Well, I was wondering if you were free, er, let's say, Wednesday night?"

Hitomi looked surprised for a moment, then her face relaxed in a smile. "Yes, I do believe I am. Are you asking me out?"

"Sure. So you're free then? Great, I'll come by and pick you up."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

"So, er, did Iris see us kissing?"

"I don't believe she did. She's already gone upstairs." Hitomi put a hand to her cheek. "Maybe I'll wait until the day we go on our date to tell her."

"Tell her you're going out on a date that night and watch her freak out." Date chuckled. "Hm, maybe that is a bit cruel actually. I can just imagine the look on her face when I turn up. Alright, well, I'll see you then."

"Yes. Goodnight."

The call cut off and Date leaned back in the seat with a satisfied smile. In the corner of his eye, he could see Mizuki smiling at him. When she realised he was looking at her, she quickly jerked her head away.

A short while later, the car reached their apartment building. Date and Mizuki stepped out of the car and started walking. Mizuki took a few steps only to stop in her tracks.

"Date?"

Date stopped and turned around. Mizuki had her hands behind her back, her body swaying as she scuffed the ground with a foot. "Yes?"

"Um." Mizuki's gaze trailed along the asphalt. "Thank you."

Date wasn't sure if he had heard her properly at first. "Uh. You're welcome, but what are you thanking me for?"

It took several seconds before Mizuki spoke, fidgeting all the while. "Well, you know, for taking me with you. You didn't have to but you did anyway." She peered up at him through her lashes. "I'm really glad you did."

"But of course I did." Date smiled at her. "I couldn't leave you out, could I?"

"Hmm." Mizuki's hips slowly swung like a pendulum. "Well, I mean, you've kind of just ignored me in the past, you know? And it took you forever to keep your promise and take me out like you said you would. We hardly ever talked in the past. Sometimes you didn't really listen to me. And you're always pissing me off."

"Okay." Date mentally ran through the things she had said, his brow furrowing. 'Hold on, what am I supposed to do about the fact I'm always pissing her off? Sometimes it's like she gets mad for no reason!"

'Well, Date, you do have a tendency to rub her the wrong way sometimes even if you don't necessarily mean to,' said Aiba. 'I think that's just something you are going to have to work on.'

'Sheesh.' Date looked unimpressed. 'It's not my fault Mizuki can be so difficult.'

'No, but you could think about what upsets Mizuki and why, and also consider your words before you say them. I know she hasn't always been the easiest to get along with but if you work on it, things should get easier. Besides, I think Mizuki does care for you more than she lets on.'

Date thought about the strange memory of Mizuki crying over him in the hospital. He still had no idea where that had even come from. 'I suppose you might be right.'

'It's important that you put some effort into this. Also, you should understand that Mizuki is currently at a difficult point in her life—'

'Yeah, I know. Spare the lecture.' Date drew in a long breath and slowly released it. "I know, Mizuki. I haven't really been the most attentive guardian in the past and I'm sorry about that. I should have been there for you after the Bloom Park incident. It's just that everything was so crazy back then. And, yeah, I should have taken you out sooner." He shook his head. "But things are going to be different now, Mizuki. I promise."

"Really?" Mizuki looked uncertain.

"Really. I'll listen to everything you have to say, so don't hesitate to talk to me."

"Hmm." Mizuki pursed her lips. "It's pretty boring though. I don't think you want to hear everything."

"Sure I do." 

Her forehead creased. "Even about school and Lemniscate?"

Date shrugged. "Whatever you like."

Mizuki tilted her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, alright. I guess you can tell me stuff about your day too. Normal things. I don't want to hear about how you were kicked out of a cabaret club or got arrested for trying to steal a skeleton from a lab."

"Trying to steal a...?" Date trailed off, struggling to comprehend how such a bizarre idea could have popped into Mizuki's head. 'Wait a minute. Aiba! Have you been telling Mizuki about my fetishes?'

'I merely commented on your love of the X-Ray feature and she took it from there, that's all.'

"You've got to be kidding me." Date put his head in one hand. "And why would I want to steal a skeleton when I can just X-Ray every woman, uh, I mean, not that I need to. I've got Hitomi. Wait, did I just say all that out loud?"

Mizuki gave out a great sigh and shook her head, giving Date a despairing look. "You know, Date, sometimes you are just hopeless."

Date hung his head, hearing the treads of Mizuki's shoes on the asphalt as she walked past him.

"You know, I wouldn't mind hearing stuff about ABIS. So, you can talk about that, alright?"

"Alright." Date fell in step alongside her as they walked to the building entrance. Normally, he wasn't supposed to talk to people about his work at ABIS as a Psyncer but considering Mizuki was already well aware of their greatest secret, there wasn't much point in keeping quiet about it. "You can always come and visit ABIS whenever you like, of course. Boss doesn't mind."

"Sure. I like talking to Boss. She's fun. And I never get bored of looking around her office."

"Yeah." Date smiled. "And I can always drop in at Lemniscate too."

Mizuki threw him a scornful look. "You already go there to look at the receptionist's tits, don't you?"

Date's lips flapped open and shut.

'It's pointless to deny it, Date.'

'Yeah. I know.' Date heaved a sigh. "I swear I won't stare at her breasts anymore." Or invite her to Atami. Wait, where had that thought even come from? Stopping at the door to the building, he looked at her with a smirk. "Race you to the shower?"

Mizuki snorted. "Please. Like you could beat me with your ancient dinosaur bones."

"Heh. I guess not." In that other body, Date could probably have given Mizuki a run for her money, especially if a porno mag was somehow waiting for him in the bathroom, but sadly that skill was lost to him. "Guess I'll just have to do the gentlemanly thing and say ladies first." He received a withering look in response.

"Like I'd allow otherwise."

Date chuckled softly. As they stepped inside, he was struck by the sudden impulse to put his arm around Mizuki's shoulders. With a hesitant movement, he did just so, almost expecting her to kick him or push him away. Mizuki gave a slight start but said nothing and so his arm remained in place the rest of the way to their apartment. 


End file.
